Fund Established for Daja Meston

 

August 1999

In August 1999, two independent researchers, Daja Meston and Gabriel Lafitte, together with their Tibetan translator, Tsering Dorjee, were detained by Chinese authorities when they went to investigate the impacts of the World Bank’s China Western Poverty Reduction Project. They were held incommunicado and without consular access for a number of days, were repeatedly interrogated, and were forced to sign confessions. While under the control of Chinese security forces, Daja Wangchuk Meston fell from third floor window, sustaining life-threatening injuries which include a broken back and internal organ damage; his spleen was removed in emergency surgery in a provincial Chinese hospital.  Mr. Meston was medically evacuated back to the United States after10days of detention, and is now slowly recovering from his injuries. Gabriel Lafitte was deported to Australia after 6 days. However, Mr. Meston had no medical insurance, and so a fund has been created by the Bank Information Center to cover his medical expenses (The Bank Information Center is Washington D.C. based non-governmental organization that monitors the World Bank).

Mr. Meston did not have health insurance.  "Funds are now desperately needed to cover costs for his medical care.  It could cost over $100,000" to pay for Mr. Meston's medical needs said Kay Treakle, Managing Director of the Bank Information Center.  He will also need intensive medical care for several months.

Daja Meston is an American specialist in Tibetan culture and language, who was with an Australian researcher and a local translator when they were detained by the Chinese government on August 15th in Dulan County, site of the Bank project. The circumstances preceding the accident are still unclear. 

Daja has been released by Chinese authorities and was evacuated by plane out of
mainland China to Boston where he is currently receiving treatment.  Donations to the fund are tax-deductible. BIC requests that checks be made payable to "Bank Information Center/Daja Meston" and sent to the address below.

Bank Information Center/Daja Meston Fund
733 15th Street, NW - Suite 1126
Washington, DC 20005
USA

 

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